Pool Chemistry & Safety Covers

A quick lesson on pool chemistry from Coverstar that will make your automatic safety cover last:

 Coverstar suggests, as all automatic cover manufacturers do, that you only cover pool water that you would swim in. If the water is temporarily out of balance due to chemical additive, covering the pool will shorten the life of the fabric. Use a good test kit frequently to maintain proper chemical balance. You must avoid a build-up of chemicals in the pool water that can result in serious damage to pool walls and equipment. Such build-up can also create an improper water balance which may cause deterioration of the vinyl cover. After adding any chemicals to your pool, allow the chemicals to circulate before closing the cover. If you are unsure if it is safe to close the pool cover, test the water at the surface with your test kit. Some pH adjusters may create harmful levels of alkalinity (high pH) if not allowed to mix with the water before the cover is closed. The same is true with chlorine shocks.

            Some chlorine shocks require as long as 12-24 hours to return to swimmable range. Since safety is often the major reason people purchase a cover, we recommend the use of a non-chlorine shock. With this type of shock the cover may be closed in 30 minutes or less. Check with your pool service company for proper usage. The use of floating chlorine feeders is not recommended because they vent chlorine gas that can burn the cover fabric and often remain trapped in the same location.

Featured product -Eclipse Mechanism

The reliability and durability of the Eclipse automatic safety cover has made Coverstar the undisputed industry leader. The Eclipse mechanism is based on more than 35 years of experience in the field and was designed to dramatically reduce service and increase your peace of mind. Not all safety covers are the same.

Compare these reliability features with others in the industry:

Stainless Steel Mechanism. The stainless steel mechanism frame stands up to the harsh pool environment where water and pool chemicals can cause corrosion. The Eclipse mechanism is back an exclusive 20 year warranty.

Adjustable Torque Limiter. A mechanical torque limiter protects the motorized mechanism from too much stress and is easily adjusted.

Stainless Steel Pulleys. 2 inch stainless steel, double row rope pulleys provide 5 times the load bearing capacity of commonly used pulleys for uncommonly long life. They also reduce the strain of the mechanism and reduce the rope wear.

 

In addition to these features, Coverstar's Eclipse mechanism also includes PowerFlex rope, which comes with a 2 year no-break warranty, an extra slide channel in the track to prevent binding and stress on the mechanism, stainless steel guide feeds to prevent the rope from snagging as it is fed into the track.

The Eclipse mechanism is engineered wit heavy-duty stainless steel components that resist corrosion, even in salt water environments. The ropes and pulleys are more reliable than other used in the industry. The extreme precision of the machined and laser-cut parts allows for smooth operation and many years of reliable operation.

 

 

 

 



The Right Safety Cover For You

Coverstar offers mesh covers for maximum drainage and solid covers that block 100% of sunlight - in a variety of material weights and colors.  All can be custom designed to fit any size or shape pool precisely, including any special features such as raised walls, diving boards, stairs and rails.  The professional Coverstar team will help you select a cover with the performance and features that best meet your needs. 

Mesh Safety Covers

Coverstar Premium 98 High-Shade Mesh

• 98% Shade, 7 oz Weight
• Allows water through for drainage and safety while keeping sunlight and debris out.
• Available in green and tan

Coverstar Standard 95 Shade Mesh

• 95% Shade, 5.2 oz Weight
• Lightweight for easy installation and removal - about half the weight of Coverstar's Full Weight Solid cover.
• Available in green, blue, grey, and tan

Solid Safety Covers

Coverstar Lite Solid

• 7 oz Weight
• High-end construction and features
• Custom engineered mesh designed to inhibit algae growth in pool
• Available in green and blue

Coverstar Heavy-Duty Solid

• Full 12 oz Weight
• Patented INVIS-A-DRAIN - 1/4" drain holes located down the center of the cover; mesh drain filter panel underneath. Minimizes debris passage for easy clean, no puddling.  A Coverstar Exclusive!
• Keeps out all debris and sunlight
• Available in green and blue

Creating a Photo Gallery in the Coverstar Ipad App

 

In the spring of 2012, Coverstar, a division of Latham PoolProducts, introduced their new Ipad App.  This app was designed to provide clear, concise and compelling presentations on how Coverstar cover systems enhance the safety, savings and convenience of the swimming pool.  The app is easy to navigate through whether reviewing information for Automatic or Solid & Mesh Safety Covers.   

One popular feature of the app continues to be the photo gallery.  Coverstar has provided a number of pictures to show covers installed on a number of different types of pools, and in a number of different applications.   After the app was release, several pool builders asked about the possibility of the app being updated to allow them to be able to create their own photo gallery.  Based on this suggestion, the app has since been updated so custom photo gallery’s can be created. 

Follow these steps to create your own custom photo gallery:

1. With the photo gallery page open, press the Manage Images button on the screen.

2.  Two new buttons will be displayed.  Press the Create New Gallery Button. 

 

3.  Enter the name for the new photo gallery.  

 

 

4.  Press the Create new Logo button.  Press the Add logo button.   Thumbnails of different pictures in the camera roll on the ipad can be viewed.   





 

 

5.  Select the desired Logo. 

 

 

6.  Select the name of the newly created gallery from the images drop down menu.  

 

 

 7.  Click on th Add Image button.  Select the desired picture(s) from the camera roll on the Ipad. 

 

8.  After the images have been added to the gallery, when one of images in the gallery have been selected, the page will display the company logo and thumbnails of each picture in the gallery.  As each thumbnail is selected, the image will be shown in a larger size.   

When using the photo gallery, you can select to show the pictures in the app, the pictures from your own gallery, or you can choose to show all pictures. 

 

Coverstar Safety Covers – We make it Strong, We make it Easy

 

Latham Pool Products offers a number of tools and features to help make the installation of a solid or mesh safety cover easier.  

 

□       CenterWeb Design

o       Allows quicker line-up

o       3x3 – 5x5 spacing for quick and easy installation         

□       PatentedReduced Spring Design

o       Allow easy installation with less than 18” of deck space

o       Maintains safety standards with tight cover fit

o       No other manufacturer offers this feature

 

□       35”Installation Rod

o       Increased the length to 35" to help ergonomically

o       Diameter was decrease and wall thickness improved to better match the anchor diameter

□       RemovablePerimeter Padding

o       Extends the life of the cover

o       A Velcro application allows the durable padding to be easily installed or removed for replacement

 

Slack in Automatic Safety Covers

From time to time the question arises about the need for slack in automatic pool covers and how much is enough.  All automatic pool cover fabrics are made wider than the width of the track.  There are several reasons for this:

 1.  A cover that is too tight will pull against the tracks and will not operate properly.  A cover that is made too small reduces the life of the cover and mechanism, causing premature failure of both the fabric and the mechanism due to the added stress.

2.  All fabric shrinks over a period of time.  The amount of the shrinkage varies widely according to the weather conditions, particularly the amount of time the cover is exposed to the sun.  Slack is always added to the fabric to compensate for potential fabric shrinkage.

3.  In order to meet the ASTM safety standards, the cover must lie on the water, most of the supporting strength of the cover comes from the support of the water directly under it.
 
Each cover we manufacture is made with the slack calculated on the basis of the type of fabric, application, and unit.  Any other variables that may be brought to our attention are also included.  Initially, a properly sized cover will drop almost directly down from the track or deck to the water, with some folds & wrinkles as it crosses the pool.  Because each cover is subject to many variables, it is impossible to calculate the exact amount of shrinkage each individual cover will have, so an approximation is made based on our past experience.  Our slack formula is designed to give the cover and mechanism maximum life, as well as making the cover look as attractive as possible. 

 

 

Automatic Cover Guidelines

When designing a pool that will include an automatic safety cover, it is important to consider the following guidelines:

• Drop to water - This is the distance from the cover guide to the water level in the pool.  For the best possible results, it is important to keep the track as close to the water level as possible.  Strive to keep your cover guides within 4 inches of the water’s surface.
 
• Drag (or resistance) - It takes almost no effort to push or pull a cover across water. Pulling a cover across a dry surface can create a lot of drag or resistance.  This drag commonly occurs on freeform pools where the cover guides are mounted outside the shape of the pool.       

One way to combat drag is to limit these drag areas to 10% of the total cover size. This is done by keeping the cover guides as close to edge of the pool as possible.  Another way to handle drag is by using blowers. Lifting a cover with blowers requires a significant amount of air flow (more than you might think) and must be done properly.  Blowers will create a cushion of air that the cover will ride on rather than riding on the dry surface, significantly reducing the amount of drag.   

•  Switch location- Having the switch correctly located can prevent many problems and costly repairs. When selecting a location for the switch, keep in mind that you must be able to see the entire pool at all times.
  
  It is best if you can be closer to the Leading Edge Bar when the cover is in the open position so you can see that the cover is running straight.  We recommend that the switch be located along the length of the pool halfway between the middle of the pool and the mechanism end, not more than twelve feet from water’s edge. Poorly located switches are one of the largest contributors to cover failure. 

• Drains- Lack of sufficient drainage is the most frequent cause of cover failure. When a cover housing is flooded, it is not just the motor that might be damaged.  The roll-up tube often fills with water, which can weigh several hundred pounds causing the tube to fail and the cover to rip.  The best way to protect your automatic cover is to have proper drainage. We recommend at least one three inch (3”) drain.  Increasing the size of your drain to four inches (4”) can offer additional protection.  Additional drains can be added to further prevent the possibility of flooding. Drain pipe smaller than three inches is not recommended.

By following the above guidelines, we are confident that your automatic safety cover project will be a pleasant and trouble free experience.